Morag Bootland just can’t get enough of that sweet soul music.
WELL, if Dublin has soul then there’s no doubt that Edinburgh does too. The Commitments rolled into the Edinburgh Playhouse last night and I was literally blown away by the energy that this show exudes. The soundtrack was always going to be a winner. Rolling out Motown hit, after hit, I would challenge anyone not to at least tap a rogue foot. In fact, by the end of the night the entire audience were on their feet singing and dancing. A joy to behold!
Vocally, the cast was flawless. To do justice to soul greats like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin you’ve got to be able to belt out a tune and Ian McIntosh, playing Deco was more than up to the challenge. Mustang Sally, In the Midnight Hour, I Heard it Through the Grapevine and the glorious Try a Little Tenderness, the hits just kept on coming.
The story is raucous and all the better for it. Based on a novel by Irish author, Roddy Doyle, The Commitments burst onto the big screen in 1991. Just like in the movie, there’s lots of fecking, drinking and plenty of sexual innuendo, but then in the words of Jimmy (James Killeen), ‘soul is the rhythm of sex’. This is just one of his delightfully philosophical musings on why soul music is perfect for the Irish people and the working classes.
The bully-boy skinhead Mikah, played by Ronnie York is comedy gold and had the audience in stitches.
The sets are simple, but effective and the storyline including the glory of success, in-fighting, inflated egos and inappropriate working relationships is not a million miles away from what one would imagine it is like to play in a band.
So, if you need a wee pick me up, and fancy some good ‘craic’ and a raft of classic tunes then catch The Commitments before the band splits and heads West to Glasgow on 3rd December.
www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-commitments
- Click HERE to read more culture news and features from Scottish Field https://wpcluster.dctdigital.com/scottishfield/category/culture/
Author
TAGS
FOLLOW US
